Ricochet, or Why Daniel Doesn't Get a Big Gun
by denise1
Summary: Just what it says, a funny little story


**Ricochet**

**or**

**Why Daniel Never Gets a Big Gun**

**By **

**Denise**

"OK campers, anyone have a good reason why we shouldn't call it a day and head home?"

"There is nothing of strategic importance on this world O'Neill," answered Teal'c

"No significant animal life sir, just trees," reported Carter, "They're blue but they're trees."

Noticing a lack of a third reply O'Neill looked around. "Oh for crying out loud! DANIEL!!" he called. Carter and Teal'c began to spread out. Jack clicked the radio, "Daniel, dammit where are you?...Daniel."

"Colonel." Carter pointed at a rustling in the bushes. Teal'c aimed his staff weapon as Jack and Carter leveled their MP-5's at the disturbance. The bluish brush parted as an obviously preoccupied Daniel Jackson stumbled into the small clearing.

Sam winced at the sight of his MP-5 bouncing against his leg, forgotten. /I sure hope the safety's on or he'll shoot his foot off one day./ Teal'c, Carter and Jack lowered their weapons with a sigh.

"Dammit Daniel," said Jack. "What did I tell you about straggling behind?"

"Huh. What? Oh there you are," said Daniel in his oblivious to the world voice. "You wouldn't believe the inscriptions on this pot." Daniel held up the cracked pot like a puppy proudly showing off the slipper he just chewed up.

Knowing what was to come, Sam rolled her eyes and motioned for Teal'c to follow her back across the clearing. In the six months SG-1 had been together she had gotten tired of hearing Daniel get the same "Don't stray" lecture every other mission. Besides it was warm in the sun and the flak jacket she was wearing was like a winters coat on a spring day, just a bit too warm for comfort. They'd been walking for hours and there was a nice shady rock over there with her name on it.

"If you would just take the time to look"

"Daniel, we don't have time to do a complete analysis of every carved rock and broken jar you find. We're a field team. We come, we look, we leave."

"But.."

"No buts. Look if you want to spend months on each new planet then transfer to another team."

"Jack if you would just take a minute to listen. This figure is of a dragon, that means it could have a link to ancient Asia...Hey!"

CRASH

Teal'c watched confused as O'Neill pulled Daniel Jackson's find from his hands and tossed it to the ground. He did not understand these humans. Their mission was to find new technology and signs of civilization yet O'Neill had just destroyed one such sign. He did however, understand the man's frustration with Daniel Jackson's apparent disregard for his own safety. He too would wish nothing to happen to Daniel Jackson. There were times when the young man's enthusiasm for the unknown reminded him of his son Ry'ac. The boy had often wandered away exploring the thickets and meadows of Chulak. Teal'c also knew the intense fear when his son had once not been easily found. He and Bra'tac had spent hours searching for the boy before finding him cold, hungry but unharmed.

Teal'c turned from the scene and watched Captain Carter seat herself on a rock watching her friends with a bemused indulgent expression on her face. She took off her sunglasses and drank a sip of water from her canteen. Since none of Apophis' personal guard were female, Teal'c had never served beside a woman. Despite this, Captain Carter had a warrior's spirit. He had chosen well. Teal'c turned from the meadow and began to survey the woods for a threat. No Jaffa could allow his companions to come to harm.

"Listen Daniel," Jack's tirade continued, "These little birds on my collar mean you listen to me, civilian or not! You can't keep wandering off. Every time you do you endanger the lives of every member of this team. We're leaving."

Jack turned and marched across the clearing towards Teal'c and Sam. He regretted his outburst almost immediately but dammit he had buried far too many people lately. He hated to admit it but the little geek was beginning to grow on him. He turned around and saw Daniel bend over, picking up the pieces of his pot. 'OK I'll help him glue it back together' Jack thought with a twinge of guilt.

Daniel suddenly froze. With a speed Jack didn't know he possessed Daniel dropped his pot pieces, scrambled for his MP-5 and started spraying bullets. Jack watched horrified as Daniel's arms shook under the force of the gun's recoil.

With a curse Jack dove to the ground as Daniel's erratic aim filled the air with bullets.

Suddenly there was silence.

Jack rolled to his back and pointed his own gun towards the threat. The only movement he saw was the gentle rain of severed leaves. "Daniel, Carter, Teal'c?" he clicked the radio. No response. Taking a couple of deep breaths he rolled to his feet and crouched over, running to Daniel's position. He found the young man sitting on the ground with a dazed look on his face, the proverbial smoking gun still clutched in his hands. Jack guessed he'd been knocked off his feet by the recoil.

"Daniel," he said, touching the man's shoulder.

"What?"

"What were you shooting at?"

"Something."

"Can you be more specific?"

"O'Neill," Teal'c's voice came over the radio.

"Teal'c, what's going on?"

"I do not know. Someone is firing upon us."

"That would be Daniel. Is anything else going on?"

"Nothing I can determine."

"Are you all right?"

"I am uninjured."

"How about Carter?"

"I last saw Captain Carter sitting on a rock. I have not seen her since the attack." A chill raced down Jack's spine. He turned and met Daniel's wide eyed gaze. "You didn't? Teal'c hold your fire, we're coming."

"Understood."

Jack pulled Daniel to his feet and crouch-ran across the clearing to where he had last seen Teal'c and Carter. Approaching the rock he got a sinking feeling in his stomach as he saw a pair of boots lying on the ground. He followed them up to a pair of legs. "Oh god." slipped out as he saw the rest of Sam lying sprawled on the ground. Then he focused on the blood.

Damn she'd been shot. He felt for a pulse half afraid of what he'd find. To his relief it was strong and regular. At his touch Sam stirred, a gasp and grimace heralded her return to consciousness. "Carter, can you hear me?" His response was a moan and a stirring in her legs. He slowly rolled her to her back and was rewarded by her eyes fluttering open and a muttered "Ow".

"Carter where are you hit?"

"What happened?" She asked, trying to sit up. Jack put his hand on her shoulder, keeping her horizontal.

"Offhand I'd say Daniel shot you."

"Daniel?" she asked, confusion dancing across her face.

"Yeah. Where does it hurt?"

Her left hand fumbled toward her chest. It was then he saw the two holes in her utility vest. One just to the left of her sternum and another six inches lower. Oh man. He unzipped the vest and jacket she wore under it. There were two neat little holes in her black T-shirt but strangely no blood. Jack felt the wound and was relieved when his fingers encountered the stiff shell of the flak jacket. She'd wore a vest. "Carter, I gotta make sure the slugs didn't go through the vest. How do you feel?"

"Oh...like I just got kicked." She heard the Velcro of the vest pull apart and felt his hands on the thin tank top she wore under it. "Ow!" she yelped as he hit a particularly tender spot.

"Sorry. I don't think anything's broken but you're going to be very colorful for a few weeks. Where's the blood from? You hurt anywhere else?"

"My arm."

Jack looked at her right arm and saw the blood seeping from a hole in the material. "Here can you sit up? We'll get the coat off and take a look. Teal'c."

The Jaffa reached down and helped Sam scoot to a sitting position with her back against the rock. They slid off her utility vest and jacket. There was blood coating her arm coming from two small holes in her upper arm. "Well at least the bullet's not still in there," said Jack as he dug for the first aid kit.

"That makes me feel so much better, sir," said Sam sarcastically. Noticing she was getting her color back made Jack decide to let the remark go. Now that he was reasonably sure he wasn't heading down the road to another funeral, Jack decided it was a good time to find out just what the hell had happened.

He motioned to Teal'c to wrap Sam's arm and stood up to face a subdued Daniel.

"Daniel?" He asked in a deceptively quiet voice.

"Jack."

"What exactly were you shooting at?"

"I saw something."

"Something what?"

"There was something coming up behind Sam and Teal'c."

"Did you guys notice anything?" Teal'c had finished wrapping Carter's arm and was helping her take off the rest of her ruined flak jacket and put her uniform jacket and vest back on. Sam tucked her wounded arm in her half zipped jacket as a makeshift sling.

"I didn't hear anything, sir."

"I too heard nothing O'Neill."

"Jack, I tell you something was there."

"OK assuming there was something, why didn't you just warn them?"

"There wasn't time."

"So you just decided to spray bullets around like a lawn sprinkler and hope you hit "IT"?"

Jack's voice rose as his frustration began to get the better of him.

"I..."

"O'Neill," Teal'c interrupted, "Something is moving."

"I hear it too Colonel," said Sam, awkwardly pulling her discarded gun to her lap with her left hand.

"The birds have stopped," observed Daniel as he grasped for his gun.

"Teal'c let's go check it out. Daniel you stay with Carter. And give me that." He pulled the gun from Daniel's hands and handed it to Carter. "Carter?"

"I'm OK sir."

"If he so much as touches a weapon...shoot him."

"Yes sir," she replied biting her lip to keep from cracking a smile.

Jack and Teal'c disappeared into the brush. As soon as they were gone, Sam let out a small sigh and laid her head back against the boulder.

"Are you OK?" Daniel asked with real concern in his voice.

"I just got the wind knocked outta me."

"Here," said Daniel, handing her his canteen.

"Thanks." Sam took a drink.

"Look Sam, I'm..."

"It's OK Daniel. Accidents happen. Nobody died."

"You could have."

"But I didn't," she insisted handing him back his canteen.

Daniel took it. "Yeah but..." his sentence remained unfinished as something began to crash through the underbrush. Carter awkwardly brought up her gun then let it drop as O'Neill and Teal'c ran into the clearing.

"Daniel, dial home NOW!"

Recognizing the urgency in his voice Daniel refrained from asking the usual questions and immediately ran towards the DHD. Sam began to lever herself up when Jack reached down and grabbed her left arm. "Sorry," he said to her sudden hiss of pain as he pulled her to her feet. "We're leaving NOW!" The sudden rise caused Sam to weave a bit. Jack pulled her left arm over his shoulders. "Let's go!"

They half ran across the clearing with Teal'c lingering behind to cover their six. The wormhole opened with a whoosh just as they reached it. Daniel sent the signal to open the iris.

O'Neill looked back. "Teal'c, move it!" The big Jaffa ran across the clearing as an ominous shape cleared the trees. A large, very, very large reptile lumbered towards the group. Daniel and Sam watched amazed as a creature of myth soared over the trees taking flight on iridescent wings.

"Teal'c move!"

Seeing how close it would be Jack moved himself and Carter closer to the gate.

"Daniel go," he said, when Daniel wouldn't move O'Neill pushed him through the event horizon. "Carter." Sam took one last glance and stepped into the worm hole. Teal'c ran past Jack and into the blue circle without showing down. Jack made a running dive and swore he felt a blast of hot air on his heels.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"And this is the control room. From here we control the stargate."

"Incredible," breathed Dr. Janet Frasier. When she agreed to be the CMO of a Project Bluebook, she imagined bandaging the paper cuts of a few egg-head scientists not galaxy hopping adventurers.

Suddenly klaxons blared.

"Incoming traveler," cried the Sergeant sitting at one of the consoles.

"Who's due back?"

"No one General." The wormhole opened with a whoosh.

"Close the iris."

Dr. Frasier silently took a small step back watching the large metal door spin over the stargate. A squadron of armed marines piled into the room below moving with the precision of practice. She imagined someone coming through that gate and hitting the metal barrier. / Ouch. That's one mess I wouldn't want to clean up./

"Receiving a GDO code sir."

"Who is it?"

"SG-1 sir."

"Open the iris. Medical team to the embarkation room." turning to Dr. Frasier "Well doctor, you are just about to meet four of your best customers." General Hammond led his new CMO from the control room down to the embarkation room. Dr. Frasier watched in amazement as a handsome young man stepped through the shimmering circle. He turned and waited for his team mates. Next out was a young blond woman. She appeared to stumble a bit and he stepped forward to help her down the ramp.

Was that blood on her jacket? Dr. Frasier took an instinctive step foreword but stopped as she felt the gentle restraint of the general's hand on her shoulder. The stargate discharged a third traveler. This was a tall black man.

Janet saw the mark on his forehead and the strange weapon he was carrying, at least she assumed it was a weapon. This had to be the alien she had been briefed about. He was a jafo, Jaffa...something like that. His name was teal, teak...something... well something alien. The final member of SG-1 literally dove out of the event horizon, rolling down the metal grate ramp. Janet swore she saw the soles of his boots smoking, a side effect of wormhole travel?

"Close the iris," bellowed at least three voices almost in unison. Janet noticed the sergeant in the control room did not wait for the general's permission before effectively slamming the door. Just as the metal blades cycled shut another shape emerged from the rippling surface. The loud clatter of guns being raised and cocked clashed with the protesting whine of the iris as the blades encountered a very large, very reptilian shape. Janet saw the alien, Teal'c, that was his name, dash back up the ramp and grasp his commander by the collar dragging him away from the threat. She watched in astonishment as the creature belched out a column of flames, sending SG-1 and most of the marines diving to the floor. Before it could breathe again, the iris closed with an audible snap. Thirty people watched the severed head hang in mid air for a second then fall to the ramp with a heavy wet thunk.

"Wormhole deactivated," reported the technician

General Hammond released his grip on Janet's shoulder. Teal'c was helping his CO to his feet while a few of the marines began to cautiously prod the creature's remains.

"Welcome home SG-1. Colonel O'Neill, what the hell just happened here?"

"Well general," said O'Neill, who amazingly managed not to lose the ballcap on his head, " our new friend felt like playing rough, so we decided to leave."

"Sir," said one of the marines, "This creature's been shot. Several times."

Daniel knew the gig was up. He was the only person who had fired his weapon. The general wasn't stupid. He'd put two and two together and get friendly fire. Daniel opened his mouth to confess all.

"For crying out loud! Of course it's been shot. It was trying to have Danny boy here for dinner. We shot, it didn't work so we ran. End of story."

"And Captain Carter, how was she injured?"

"Ricochet sir," piped up the female officer.

Observing the scene, Janet wondered if the general caught the looks that passed between the members of SG-1.

"Very well, Captain, you and Colonel O'Neill report to the infirmary. Debriefing at 1400. By the way this is Dr. Janet Frasier, our new chief medical officer. Doctor, SG-1. I have a feeling you'll get to know each other very well. Dismissed."

All five people acknowledged the orders with an assortment of nods or muttered yes sirs. As they were leaving they heard the general order someone to clean up the mess. SG-6 was due back in a few hours and he didn't want them tripping over IT.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Just keep the stitches dry and I'll take them out in a week or so. And keep the sling on Captain, if I have to replace stitches I don't use Novacaine." Daniel and Teal'c heard Dr. Frasier tell Sam as they walked into the infirmary. They watched the small brunette woman walk to her office.

"Sam, How're the ribs?"

"Sore but fine," she lowered her voice to a conspiratory whisper, "I just had a hard time convincing the doc I got hit by three ricochets."

"Hey wrong place, wrong time," remarked O'Neill as he walked into the infirmary. He had been checked out by an assistant and left to grab a shower before the debriefing. "And you," he said turning to Daniel, pointing his finger at him, "If I ever see you with anything bigger than a water pistol, I'll shoot you myself." Daniel looked down and flushed red.

"You know," said Sam, gingerly sliding her feet to the floor. "Once we debrief, I'm on 3 days medical leave and R&R. I can rest just as well at home. How about coming over, watching a movie and ordering Chinese?"

"What'd you have in mind?" asked Jack a little too casually.

"Oh a classic. It has that weird lawyer guy in it when he was really, really young."

"Oh that one," replied Jack with a twinkle in his eyes. "You know if we get him a perm he just might look the part." Jack jerked his thumb toward Daniel.

"What part ?" asked Daniel in his I just know I won't like this voice. Jack ignored the question and tossed an arm across Daniel's shoulders.

"Come on Dragonslayer, we have a briefing."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Come in"

The armory master sergeant entered General Hammond's office, noting the presence of the new doctor.

"Excuse me sir, ma'am. General I received a request from Colonel O'Neill and ...well sir I would feel better if you looked at it first."

The sergeant handed Hammond a piece of paper. The general recognized Jack's scrawl. Dr. Frasier discretely developed a fascination with the walls of the general's office.

"This seems pretty cut and dried to me son. What was your question?"

"Well sir, doesn't it seem a bit odd..."

"Sergeant I'm beginning to learn that SG-1 and odd go hand in hand. It's his team and his decision. Abide by it."

"Yes sir," replied the sergeant. He came to attention, turned smartly and left the room.

"Doctor, Captain Carter said her injuries were caused by a ricochet?"

"Yes sir. Three ricochets. If it wasn't for the flak jacket we'd probably be planning a memorial right about now."

"Well that explains this." The general handed Dr. Frasier O'Neill's note.

_If anyone ever gives Daniel Jackson an automatic weapon again without my express permission, I will personally assign YOU to come on the mission with us. YOU will be on point with Daniel covering YOUR six!!_

Frasier looked at the general with a bemused look on her face. "Is this what I think it is sir?"

"Ricochet my great aunt Fannie's garters."

"General I get the feeling this is going to be an extremely interesting assignment."

XXXfinXXX


End file.
